Shot Through the Heart
by ap gato
Summary: When Matt hurts Sora, there is only one person she can turn to. Does he still care enough about her to help? Taiora that starts as a Sorato. Songfic.


Gato: I suppose you could say that this story is being used to test a theory, but that doesn't really matter.

Irie: No, it doesn't. No one cares.

Gato: Anyhow...this is basically an eventual Taiora which starts off as a Sorato. Typical, cliché, overdone...

Irie: Yeah, now everyone wants to read your story.

Gato: Shut up. It's a song fic and I DO NOT own Digimon or the song You Give Love a Bad Name. Enjoy.

..........................................

**You Give Live a Bad Name**

Matt Ishida led his girlfriend, Sora Takenouchi, through a small park. The cherry blossoms made lazy arcs as the fell from the trees. Several fell onto the shoulders of the young couple. Matt paused among the pink petals and glanced at Sora. She stared back quizzically. Finally, he spoke, "Hey Sora,"

"Yes?"

"Well you know how it's been four months..."

"Yep. Remember the day you first asked me out? You were so nervous and..."

"Sora, I love you."

Sora paused; a huge grin spread across her face, "What?"

"I love you."

"I love you to, Matt."

And he pressed his lips onto hers. The blossoms continued their pinks spirals around the two preoccupied lovers.

Sora entered her home and sighed happily. She developed a crush on Matt at the beginning of the ninth grade. She befriended him through Mimi, and as she spent more time with him, her crush deepened. Then, one rainy June day during the summer before Grade 11, he asked her out on a date. She nearly melted.

He received her first kiss, her utterances of, "I love you," and now, he felt same way. _This day is perfect, _Sora thought dreamily. She glanced at the mantle and saw a framed photograph of her and Matt at the Fair. She grinned at the memories from that day. Beside that frame, sat a photograph of Tai and herself in a friendly embrace. Sora approached the picture and stared longingly. That photo, taken on a soccer field the day before Matt asked her out, always made her sad. Tai stopped spending time with her when she and Matt became a couple. _I haven't talked to him properly since we took that picture..._

Sora started as the phone rang.  
  
"Hello, Sora speaking."  
  
"Hey Sora its Mimi!"  
  
"Hey Meems, what's up?"  
  
"I heard!"  
  
"You heard what?"  
  
"That Matt finally said 'I love you.' I can't believe it! I didn't think that Ishida was capable of that type of emotion," Mimi's typical cruelty towards Matt caused Sora to sigh.

"Mimi, why do you hate him?"

"He's dangerous, Sora."

"I love him Mimi, and I trust him."

"Well, that's your personal choice. I put up with him because you care about him. Just promise me that you'll be extra careful now." Mimi's tone sobered.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Some guys, especially guys like Matt, think that saying 'I love you' is an easy way to get you into bed."  
  
"Oh Mimi," Sora snickered, "Matt would never do that! He has his principles and he respects me."

"If you say so, Sora. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I will. Don't worry."

"Good. Well, I have to run, Sora. See you later."

Sora hung up the phone and glanced at the photographs once more. Strangely, she found her eyes drawn to the picture of her and Tai. She missed him very much. Instinctively, she picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello, Kamiya residence, Ta..."

"Hey, Tai."

A pause on the other line, then, "Sora."

"It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"I've been alright, I guess. What about you?"

Sora hated the awkward formality of the conversation, "I've been fine."

"That's good," another pause on Tai's end.

"I've missed you, Tai," Sora said instinctively. He did not reply, so she continued, "Would you be willing to meet me at the park in fifteen minutes?"

"I...I'm not..."

"Please, Tai?"

"I'll be there in fifteen."

Sora waited by the sandbox, their usual meeting place. She felt a strange twinge of nerves when she thought about Tai. She found herself wondering if she looked presentable. She attempted to smooth down her shirt and wished she could do something about her hair. _Why am I so nervous? He's my best friend. He doesn't care what I..._

"Knew you'd be here."

Sora turned and grinned happily, "Tai!" She hugged him instinctively. Shock registered on his face for a moment, then melted into happiness. He came to his senses and hugged her back.

"I'm glad to see that this is still our meeting place."

"That will never change, Tai."

"That's good, seeing as everything else is changing."

Sora felt guilty for a moment. She knew that he spoke of her relationship with Matt. Perhaps she had neglected Tai for the past few months. "We will always be friends, Tai. That will never change."

Tai looked away for a moment. Sora wanted to say something to make him feel better. Finally, he spoke, "How are you and Matt doing?"

Any answer that she made would hurt Tai, she knew that. She carefully replied, "Thing are going pretty well."

"I see," he looked away again, "Do you love him?"

"Yes," she whispered, "I do."

He turned and stared at her, "Really?"

Something in his eyes made her doubt her feelings. She shook her head fiercely, "Yes, Tai. And he loves me back. He told me so today." She hated herself for those words.

"Congratulations. Just be careful now. Matt isn't the most trustworthy person."

"I trust him,"

"That's you choice," he began to walk away.

"Tai, please," Sora called, "I want us to keep being friends. I care about you too much to be without you."

"Well, you've done it pretty well these past few months," he replied without looking back. He continued to walk away.

"Tai," Sora whispered, "Tai..."

...

The next day, Sora waited in front of the cinema. Per usual Matt failed to arrive on time. Her thought remained with her conversation with Tai. She hated that all their conversations ended in that way. _Why does he hate Matt so much?_

"Sora!" Matt ran up and pulled Sora into a kiss. "Sorry I'm late sweetie, something came up."

"That's fine, Matt. There is still tons of time before the movie starts."

"Yeah, about that," Matt played with Sora's hair, "why don't we go back to my place? We always see movies. I think we should do something else."

"Sure, Matt."

"Great, let's go."

Matt unlocked his front door and allowed Sora to enter, "My dad and TK are out of town."

"Oh," Sora replied. She felt slight fear as she remembered Mimi's warning. She shook her head and sank onto the couch. Matt dimmed the lights and sat beside Sora. "Are we watching a movie, Matt? I thought you said you didn't want to watch one."

"I thought we would amuse ourselves by doing something else, Sora."

"Oh really what did you have in mmmm-" Matt interrupted Sora with a kiss. He pulled her closer and the kiss became more passionate. Sora allowed herself to enjoy the beauty of this kiss but stiffened slightly as Matt pressed her down onto the couch. His tongue danced in her mouth as he slid one hand up her shirt. His hand slid up higher on her stomach and then reached for her bra hook. "Matt...slow down..."

He didn't listen and pressed his lips into hers more forcefully. His other hand began to undo his belt. She felt her bra un-hook.

"Matt!" She cried. Again, he paid her no notice. She pushed him off forcefully. He regarded her with a startled expression. She fastened her bra with trembling hands.

"Sora? What's the matter with you? It's already been four months. You can't tell me that you still aren't comfortable."

"I'm not ready Matt."

"Why not?"

"I don't have to be ready!"

"Come on Sora, every other girl I've..."

"Go to hell," Sora picked up her purse and ran from the house. Her shoes echoed as they hit the pavement. The scene flashed repeatedly in her mind. The anger she felt towards Matt consumed her and she ran without thinking. _Mimi was right, _her mind screamed as heavy rain drops began to tumble from the clouds.

Sora lay on the couch with her cereal bowl at her side. The clock read 12:00 pm, but Sora felt too lazy to do anything. She managed to avoid Matt's calls for the past few days, but something inside her missed him. She attempted to call Tai four times since her fight with Matt. He did not answer the phone. Mimi came over the day of the fight and tried to calm Sora. The two girls spent the day talking, but it did not help the situation.

Sora glanced out the window. The rain continued to fall; its large drops cleansed the city. Sora watched each bit of water splatter against the window. She jumped as the phone rang.

"Hello, Sora speaking."  
  
"Sora, it's Matt. Don't hang up, okay."  
  
"Hello Matt."

"Oh, good, you're still there. Listen, I feel bad about what happened the other day. Would you be willing to meet me in the park so I can make it up to you?"

Sora held the phone to her ear as she considered. Matt did seem sorry, and perhaps she had over-reacted to his actions.

"Sora?"

"Alright Matt, I'll see you in the park in fifteen minutes. Should we meet in front of the fountain?"

"Sure. You'd better bring an umbrella. It's - "

"Pouring. I know. I'll see you soon Matt, I love you."

"See you soon, Sora." He hung up. Sora put her cereal bowl in the sink and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a red tank top. She grabbed her blue umbrella and sprinted to the park to meet Tai.

Sora paused on the left side of the fountain. The bottoms of her jeans clung to her legs like spider webs. She placed her umbrella beside her for a moment as she attempted to fix her pants. As she straightened, she saw a familiar flash of sleek blond hair. _Matt is here, but...who is that girl he's with?_ Sora inched around the fountain slightly and heard Matt's voice.

"Time for you to leave, Lily. I'm meeting Sora in a minute..."

The girl named Lily leaned towards Matt, "I want to hear you say it before I go."  
  
"Lily...honestly,"  
  
"Say it, you know it's true."  
  
Matt grinned, "Last night was amazing."

"That's what I thought," She leaned closer and placed a kiss on Matt's lips. Sora stiffened. Her umbrella lay by her side, the hollow part filled with water. Her red hair, soaked, hung past her shoulders.

"Ok, you got what you wanted for now. Good-bye."

"Let me ask you one more question."

"Fine,"

"Why do you stay with that prude of a girlfriend? I mean, you two have been together for like, four months and you haven't even had sex with her yet."

"She says she's not ready or something..."

Lily laughed callously, "Whatever, Matt. You go back with her and you'll be coming to me for some action, I can tell you that from now."

"Lily, this should probably end..."

"Please, Matt," she laughed again, "that's the fifth time you've said that. And yet, you always end up in my bed. You'll come back to me, I know you will." Lily kissed Matt once more and left the park with a smirk.  
  
**Shot through the heart  
And you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name  
You give love a bad name**

Sora felt ill; almost as if she had been punched. Her clothes stuck to her; the wet fabric cold again her skin. Her hair dripped down her back. She attempted to back away but tripped over her umbrella. Matt heard her shout and walked around the fountain. His eyes widened as he saw Sora, her clothes soaked, look back at him.

"Sora! You...what are you doing here?"

"You told me to meet you here Yamato," Sora's voice held an element of danger.

Matt swallowed, "Sora, let me explain..."

"How could you do this to me?!" she demanded. Her voice rose to a vicious pitch. Matt flinched and watched her eyes. The bright crimson light had faded and they flashed with warning. "After everything we've been through together, you decide to just throw it all away? Fine Matt, fine."

"Sora, please..."

"I hate being played with Yamato," she spat his name.

Matt could think of none of his smooth saves. Her eyes, so full of anger, frightened him, "Sora..."

"I've said it before and I'll repeat it, go to hell." Sora picked up her umbrella. Her hand shook as she gripped the smooth wood.  
  
**An angel's smile is what you sell  
You promise me heaven, then put me through hell  
Chains of love got a hold on me  
When passion's a prison, you can't break free**

"I just..."

"You made me think I was wanted, that I was loved. I can't forgive you for what you did." Sora emptied the water from the umbrella onto Matt's head. She ignored the fact that he was already soaked. She ignored the fact that most of the water spilled from the umbrella onto the ground. The umbrella hit her calves while she ran. Her eyes stung and her throat felt tight, but she let no tears fall. She saw nothing through the heavy rain. She heard cars screech in attempts to avoid her.

**You're a loaded gun  
There's nowhere to run  
No one can save me  
The damage is done**

**Shot through the heart  
And you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name  
You give love a bad name**

She sprinted up the stairs and past Tai's apartment to her own. Tai glanced out the window in time to see the red-headed blur fly past. He noticed her heartbroken expression and pulled open the door to speak to her, but she had disappeared.

...

"Here, have some hot cocoa, it'll make you feel better." Mimi handed her friend a mug and wrapped the blanket more tightly around her shoulders. Sora called Mimi the day after her encounter with Matt. Four days had passed and Sora had not cried about Matt's betrayal.

Sora forced a smile, "Thanks Meems."

"It'll be alright, Sora. He was a jackass."

"I never thought he would do this to me though. I mean, I know that all guys are jerks sometimes, but cheated on me just because I wouldn't..."

"It's his loss." Mimi insisted firmly.

"I can't believe I let him trick me like that..."  
  
** Paint your smile on your lips  
Blood red nails on your fingertips  
A school boy's dream, you act so shy  
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye**

"You could get revenge on him if you wanted."

Sora shook her head, "No, that would be stooping down to his level. I don't want to hurt him the way he hurt me."

Mimi frowned slightly, "Sora, do you still care about him?"

"I...I don't know." Sora buried her face in her knees. Mimi sighed at took the hot chocolate from her friend. The doorbell echoed through the silent house. Mimi glanced at Sora, then went to the door. She pulled it open and nearly dropped the mug.

"Yamato Ishida! What the hell are you doing here?!"  
  
"I could ask you the same question. Is Sora home?"  
  
"That's no longer any of your concern."  
  
"Come on, Mimi..."  
  
"No. She doesn't want to see you."  
  
"I just want to talk to her."  
  
"Haven't you done enough to her already?"  
  
"I..."

"Matt," Sora appeared at Mimi's side. Mimi glanced between the two and turned to Sora.

"Be careful, Sora," she whispered and retreated into the house. Sora kept her cold gaze on Matt while he fidgeted with his jacket.

"Is there something you wanted, Matt?"

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you." He glanced in the house and saw Mimi, "Can we talk outside?"

"Oh, fine," Sora shut the door and followed Matt out to the balcony. He rested against the railing and fixed his pleading eyes on Sora.

"Listen, Sor, I just wanted to apologize. I realize that I hurt you and I really want to make it up to you."

Sora remained silent. She recognized the false-pleading tone in his voice. _Poison_, she thought, _his words are like poison_.

"I never meant to hurt you. I care about you, Sora. You weren't supposed to find out about Lily."

"And if I hadn't found out," Sora spoke softly; her tone frightened Matt, "would you have continued to sleep with her?"

Matt studied a piece of dust, "Listen, Sora, this isn't all my fault! If you weren't such a pr..."

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, Matt." She warned.

"I'm only telling the truth," Matt defended angrily.

Sora snorted. Nothing he said would bring back her love for him. For a moment, that moment when she spoke with Mimi, she thought she still loved him. Now, as she looked at him, she knew her feeling for Matt were dead.  
  
** You're a loaded gun  
There's nowhere to run  
No one can save me  
The damage is done  
**

"Well," her voice startled Matt, "I have the answer to my question. If you came here to try and get me back, you failed. If you came here for closure then here it is. Good-bye Yamato Ishida." She turned away from Matt and his false pretences of love.  
  
** Shot through the heart  
And you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name**

Mimi stood as Sora entered the house.

"How did it go?"

"Wonderfully. I think I'm going to take a walk to clear my thoughts and stuff."

"Sure," Mimi picked up her purse, "call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will. You're the best Mimi, thanks."

"No problem. I'll see you later."

...

Sora wandered slowly through the town. Evening approached and the sun began to dip behind the horizon. Her wandering brought her to the sandbox in the park. She sat on the edge of the sandbox glanced at the orange-tinted sky. Her thoughts drifted to Matt and his betrayal. Finally, the tears escaped.   
  
** Shot through the heart  
And you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name**

She sobbed for nearly half an hour - her anger, embarrassment and depression slid down her cheeks. Eventually, she became aware of someone standing near her. She attempted to stop the tears and recognize the person.

"Knew you'd be here." A familiar voice intoned. Sora gasped and threw herself in Tai's arms. The tears continued as Tai held her in his strong arms. Finally she calmed down.

"Tai. You were right. I shouldn't have trusted him. He was just using me. I was so stupid..."

"No, Sora. He was the stupid one for not seeing what an amazing, beautiful person you are. And I was stupid for letting my jealousy ruin our friendship. I love you Sora. You might not feel the same way, but I will always love you."

Sora stared up at her best friend, and for the first time, felt true love toward someone. "Tai, I love you too."

And when they kissed, Sora felt what she never had with Matt: whole. Finally, she truly understood love.

**The End**

.......................................

Gato: So, did you love it? Hate it? Are you neutral about it? Whatever the case, please review or else I will cry.

Irie: She will, too. Her stress level is crazy.

Gato: Thank you, ever helpful muse.

Irie: No problem. Now...REVIEW!!


End file.
